Computer networks allow interconnected computing devices to exchange data and share resources. They use communication protocols to transmit information over physical or wireless technologies. There are four main types of computer networks: local area networks (LANs), personal area networks (PANs), wide area networks (WANs), and metropolitan area networks (MANs). Effective networks require performance, reliability, and security. Network protocols like TCP, IP, UDP, and HTTP are used to facilitate communication. The OSI model defines seven layers of abstraction for network communication.